Donald Trump: America’s Prize for Ignorance and Apathy

Actions or inactions resulting from ignorance and/or apathy rarely produce good results. Stupid mistakes usually result in an unwanted outcome, and serious issues ignored often turn into serious problems. Ignorance and apathy almost always result in pain, and in the case of the 2016 electoral election of Donald Trump by the minority (2.5 million fewer than Clinton at last count) of voters, the American people have stupidly and carelessly made a monumental mistake.

Mr. Trump provided an abundance of evidence of his gross incompetence and dangerous temperament prior to the election, but obviously many Americans were not paying attention or were careless and vain enough to give him their proxy by voting for a third party candidate. Post election, Trump’s dangerous ignorance, incompetence and petulance continues for all to see as he tweets like a twelve-year-old retaliating against any criticism and using the Presidency to enrich himself through pay for play relationships with the business interests he refuses to relinquish. And if Trump is not frightening enough all by himself, just look at the incompetents, bigots and racists he’s appointed or is considering appointing to various posts.

Considering the totality of Trump’s history and continuing behavior, any sensible person would conclude that he represents nothing less than a grave national crisis for the United States. It’s encouraging that there has been a steady stream of appropriate alarm from reasonable, thinking Americans, privately, through social media and in the press. Jennifer Rubin and Ruth Marcus, of the Washington Post, Charles Blow of the New York Times, GQ’s Keith Olbermann, and a few other reporters and commentators have been accurately reporting on the Emperor’s astonishing nakedness, yet the majority don’t seem to know how to respond to this abnormal catastrophe, except to treat it as normal. Most of them slipped effortlessly into the realm of denial and amnesia within hours of the projected election results. Without even blinking they switched into political sportscaster mode, relishing the mysteries, the intrigue, the power plays and strategies as if it were all just a fascinating game, all the while missing the real story: that the United States and the world face potentially perilous and uncertain risk from a man who conducted his entire election campaign like a reality TV show; a man who has not the slightest qualification to be President, but who likes to play one on TV.

“The media’s central task now and in the months ahead is to explain to the American people precisely who it is they elected — his shortcomings, his blind-spots, his emotional state and his decision-making process. Turning a blind eye to his unfiltered outbursts would be journalistic malpractice. Worse, it would shield the public from the unpleasant reality, the consequences of their electoral decision, which they must now endure for four (if not eight) years.” – Jennifer Rubin

Some congressional democrats are exercising appropriate outrage and vigilance, yet most republicans are far too intoxicated with the self serving benefits they stand to gain from control of the White House and Congress.

Considering the totality of Trump’s history and continuing behavior, Americans should be appalled and outraged, yet many are still embracing the foolish notions of “Let’s give him a chance.” and “Maybe he’ll get better.” Seriously?! The folks strolling down Insanity Lane, taking the same amnesia and expecting a different result, clearly have not been paying attention. Others are just tired of it all and disinterested. They wish their friends and family would stop talking and posting and tweeting about how dangerous Trump is. Therein lies the problem that got us here, and that will likely keep us in this dangerous mess until Trump inflicts enough damage upon our country to cause people to wake up: ignorance and apathy.

Unfortunately, many Americans are not smart shoppers. They do very little research before making a purchase, and if a product turns out to be a bad choice, they can either take it back for a refund or exchange, or just live with it. When we make a huge mistake in picking a President, we don’t get to elect an exchange for 4 years, but that doesn’t mean we have to sit idly by while a dangerous, incompetent and gravely flawed choice threatens the well being of our country and our people. When we do nothing and say nothing we are tacitly embracing Trump’s incompetent, criminal, irresponsible, ignorant, petulant, childish, narcissistic, vindictive, prejudiced, bigoted, racist, Islamophobic, misogynistic, fascistic, authoritarian, insensitive, erratic, disturbed and irrational behavior as normal. Donald Trump is not normal; he’s a disastrous problem, and the first step to surviving and recovering is admitting that we have a terrible problem as the direct result of an stupid and careless decision.

So speak out! Take action! Write your Congressmen. Write your Senators, and let them know how worried you are about the Trump disaster and danger, and encourage them to speak out and condemn every one of Trump’s ongoing reckless actions and statements. Post, share, tweet and re-tweet your ass off, and if anyone suggests that you’re overreacting or “not giving Trump a chance”, remind them of the facts they seem to have forgotten or ignored. Make enough noise so that everyone, including Donald Trump, knows that we, the majority of Americans, know that he is grossly unfit to be President.

To the extent that we acknowledge having chosen a dangerous, incompetent con artist as leader of the free world, we greatly enhance our ability to limit the resulting damage in the interim, and hopefully, decrease the likelihood of making such a monumental mistake in the future.